The Colorful Clouds of Colorado
Sunday, July 31 – We totally scored this morning. We just walked in to the hotel dining hall like we owned the place and had some hard-boiled eggs and fruit for breakfast (and grabbed some to go)! Thanks Best Western. Much appreciated. Today is another TLC day for ol’ Bess. We checked out the headlight and taillight situation since we have some out, changed what we could and left the things we don’t have supplies for to the professionals. Since there really is not much in Laramie for us to see or do, we drove to Loveland, CO to lube ol’ Bess up with an oil change. I had wanted to go to Fort Collins since the New Belgium Brewery is there, but Zack said they are closed Sunday and Monday. SO BUMMED! Oh well, I guess next time…Taking care of Bess is always higher up on the priority list anyhow so off to Wal-Mart we went in Loveland. (Confession Time: Sally and I are kind of loving on Wal-Mart these days, not only can you get your oil changed, but you can do your grocery shopping and even buy some clothes here and there on the cheap. There I admitted it.) We even snuck Coach in there! After the oil change was completed, we were informed that our tires needed changing as they are in pretty bad shape, so we added that to the list of RV TLC to accomplish as well. The rest of the day we tried to cool down since it was so fuggin hot and finally when the sun started going down, we found a park (Central Park) in Stapleton, close to Aurora, CO and laid out, watched the lightning show due to the storm in the distance and even got some exercises in. At one point, we were laying on the grass and looking up at the clouds which formed a huge circle in the sky of which we were in the middle and slowly changed colors from dark gray to a pinkish to a deep corral color. It was incredible to watch. Sally kept mentioning how the sky is so different in this part of the states and I am beginning to see why … it is just so expansive and it is all around you like an embrace. We capped out the evening by driving to Sally’s friend’s in Aurora and hanging out with them. Only down-side is that we were outside and the mosquitos went to town on me. I probably have easily over 25 bites (even on my face)! Do these blood suckers have no bounds??
Sally and Coach in Wal-Mart, Loveland, CO
Beautiful Bess at Bluff Lake Nature Center, Denver, CO
Clouds from Central Park, Stapleton, CO
Quality Puppy Time at the Park
Monday, August 1 – First day of August. I cannot believe it. Seems like just yesterday we were on the road but it’s been 27 days since we first pushed off from Southern California in good ol’ Bessy Lou. Unbelievable! Sally and I are REALLY working on staying present to the amazingness of our journey which is still happening and not allowing ourselves to mourn the near end of this trip. I don’t know if it’s cheating, but I’m using the Perspective of “This is not the end, only the beginning” to keep myself in check, as we plan to keep going as long as we can. Especially when the business that we are starting up is going to be amazing. In between visioning and planning for it’s launch, we did take some steps to get the tire situation rectified. Apparently for safety reasons, not all Tire stores can install tires bigger than 16”. We called around and found a Big O Tires in Aurora that will get our 19.5” tires by tomorrow morning and install them for us. That is one of those things that took major priority as we have a 1,000+ mile drive to make back to SoCal in less than a week. Since we had that taken care of, we went for a walk, processed some fears that are popping up for us in regards to continuing on our adventure and decided we get to just DO different than what we have done before. You can’t have different if you keep doing more of the same … if we want big, we can’t keep acting small. Shortly afterward my good friend Tom (who I’ve known for over six years and met while working at Clark Construction) picked Sally, myself, and the puppy up and we went to have dinner in the Aurora area. It was so good to see Tom since the last time I saw him was when I visited him in San Antonio a year and a half ago. It was also cool for Sally to meet one of my friends that I have talked about at length. Obviously they loved each other as I knew they would and we had a nice time at Sam #3 diner, especially since they allowed us to bring Coach with us while dining on the patio.
Tuesday, August 2 – Ran for a half hour with Sally and Coach this morning. Boy was it brutal. We find out later it’s because of the altitude in the Denver area. No wonder! Even when I went on my own yesterday I was definitely having a tough time of it. At least it’s the altitude and not me being out of shape! I mean, in addition to Mission Rockin Body on the Road, I have a personal mission as well of Half-Marathon in Austin this Fall! Good to know I’m not starting from scratch. Brian, one of Sally’s friends who we had been parked outside of their house, suggested going to Amy’s work (his wife) to have lunch. So cool! Amy works for Clear Channel and is involved with Research and Sales for the Denver area (eight stations total). Sally had been there before when she was with the band and had performed there, so it wasn’t new for her, but it was my first time at a radio station. I got to see some of the rooms where they air the radio shows and get a tour of the offices where the behind the scenes magic happens. After lunch, we took ol’ Bess to get her tires changed. $200 a tire (including tax and installation) for a no-name brand! Crazy how expensive this stuff is … this is one of the reasons we’ve been thinking about a truck and trailer RV for the next round of RV adventuring. When we finished with the last of the RV TLC activities, we headed to Englewood to spend some time with another one of Sally’s friends, Rachel. What an AWESOME girl. I loved her. Sally said she knew I would. She is such the gracious hostess. We had Prosecco, appetizers, wine, talked about exciting projects and business ideas and I even did a tarot reading for Rachel. We had an absolutely lovely evening. Rachel and her roommate are Burlesque dancers and so their apartment is totally girly, vintage, and decorated in classic boudoir fashion. Oh how I saw myself living in a place like this as well. My mouth was gaping open the whole time we walked around getting the tour of the place. Sally and I definitely plan to come back and hang out with Rachel next year when she showcases the art exhibit she is working on with her friend and colleague.
More amazing clouds!!
Bud Light Station at Clear Channel, Denver, CO
Wall of Photos taken by Amy at Clear Channel in Denver, CO
Wednesday, August 3 – Showered and worked at Rachel’s. Really starting to do the work for Girls Gone Moto and the steps to building and launching it. Obviously with anything you create or grow, things change and it is a natural evolution process however for both Sally and I we are learning that you just get to do the work, bit by bit, day by day. So cool to see all that is presenting itself because we are simply in motion! That evening we had dinner with Marty, his wife Kristine and their kids Emily and Erik. Kristine made an amazing vegan lasagna (thank goodness they are in the process of going Vegan since it lended itself to yummy food for us!). Such an adorable couple. It was another example for me of a loving, healthy, reciprocal relationship. Gives one hope for sure. I feel like a lot of the trip has been various physical examples of the possibilities in love, whether it be meeting cool guys that break the stereotypes in my mind or awesome couples whose relationship has not only stood the test of time but continues to blossom. After dinner we went back to Rachels’ place, met her friend Brittany and played dress up in her downstairs wardrobe room (yes, they have TWO!).
Living room, Rachel's place, Englewood, CO
The hat wall in Rachel's dressing room, Englewood, CO
More colorful clouds in Colorado
Thursday, August 4 – Another day of hanging out at Rachel’s place to shower, work, have our meals, exercise, etc. So much is opening up for us in the business area. Being on the road has exposed us to so many amazing people doing some cool ass shit in their lives. You cannot help but be changed. I know I feel like I am coming in to my own. I was sharing with Sally on our walk that the Costa Rica experience gave me the spaciousness to just be, process the things in my life and get me grounded in what I want. This RV adventuring is giving me permission to just be ME, to realize how amazing I AM, to do and see things I have always wanted to do and most importantly, a gratefulness that this is my life. While I was on my run, Rachel and Sally were masterminding and wow is our business growing in clarity and scope. We were supposed to leave Denver today to slowly make our way back to SoCal but as luck/fate/destiny would have it, the registration papers had not come yet so we got to spend more time with Rachel. It’s in those moments when you know, “that’s why it didn’t happen!” I made the ladies some dinner and we got to talk about what we want to intend for the rest of the month. This is what happens when you have dinner with a bunch of coaches. Okay not all coaches, but with Sally and I anyway. After dinner we drove to Centennial so that we could pick up the registration stickers in the morning. It was the first time during our trip that we slept at a Wal-Mart parking lot. We felt legit … like real “full timers”. We never thought we would say this but Wal-Mart rocks! They did our oil change, we’ve done our grocery shopping there and they provide a safe, lit space for RV’s to park for the night. What’s not to love??
View along my run in Englewood, CO
Sally, Rachel and I at Rachel's apartment, Englewood, CO
Oh how I love you wigs ... after our transformation!
Puppy exploring the Wal-Mart parking lot in Centennial, CO
Wide Open Spaces of Wyoming
Monday, July 25 – Zack made us homemade biscuits for breakfast. We ate them with some butter and jam, had our tea and then hit the road again. So sweet of him! Sally and I both were a bit sad to leave having had such a great weekend with Zack and his friends, yet the road was a’callin again. We stopped along the way to Yellowstone to go hiking in Gallatin National Forest, Montana, which is close to Big Sky. Obviously the name spoke to us loud and clear: Hellroaring Trailhead. Hiked to a cool roaring rapid where we parked it a bit near a bridge that went over the river. We had planned to have a business brainstorming meeting and serendipitously the time happened to be right during our hike and boy did we brainstorm big time. We came up with the perfect name for the biz AND got a lot clearer on what we are up to creating!! We had lunch in the RV after the hike and proceeded to drive to Yellowstone National Park. Checked out Gibbon Falls and took some photos of Mammoth Falls. We chose to settle for the night in the town right outside of the North Entrance to the park, Gardiner, Montana) since the Mammoth campground was full and you couldn’t park in any of the parking areas. Technically we have not slept in Wyoming yet! Before bed, we sat on top of the RV to look at the stars and check out the lightning show in the distance. AND SO EXCITING … we bought the domain name for the awesome new project that Sally and I are about to launch … Girlsgonemoto.com!
Sally and I hiking the Hellroaring Trail in the Gallatin National Forest, Montana
Sally and I at Gallatin Falls in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Mammoth Falls, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Tuesday, July 26 – Since Boiling River was closed for another week or so we took our time in the morning before heading back in to Yellowstone. We apparently needed the time as Saboteurs (the voices) started popping up about the project we are embarking on. Even though it is an extension of what we want to do, the mere fact that it is a different version of it triggered all sorts of fear. It is times like these that I am so grateful to have a coach as a travel/business partner since we can talk it out and adopt a new perspective about it, even if just to try it on for 24 hours. Once we were in Yellowstone again, we saw Beryl Spring, Cascade Springs and Old Faithful. Some vistas more beautiful than others but all simply amazing! Driving through Yellowstone also makes you realize just how tiny you are in comparison to the mass of nature all around you! Something else that happened during our day was getting the news from Aaron that his best friend’s mom passed away and that was SO heart breaking. I couldn’t help crying for his loss, his friend’s loss and all of the experiences she would be missing out on. It is inevitable that news of a death will have you reflect on your own life and question whether you are truly living it, feeling fulfilled by it, making the most of it, etc. Never more than in that moment did I feel that I am living the life I have always envisioned for myself; I would not change a single thing. I want what I have and I have what I want. There is spaciousness in my life I have very rarely experienced and I know it is because I am purposefully and diligently working on creating my ideal vision for my life on a daily basis. Such a foreign concept (this wanting what I have) but it inspires me to share that opportunity with others … give permission for the possibilities in other people’s lives. After a gorgeous drive through Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Forest, we made it to Jackson Tuesday night. Picked a spot to park close to City Park on Milward and I went for a walk with puppy before bedtime to do some late night exploring. We got a good feeling about Jackson even driving through the main boulevard in downtown.
Sally and I at Cascade Springs Overlook, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Cascade Springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Grand Teton Mountains, Wyoming
Wednesday, July 27 – We went for a run in the morning around downtown and THROUGH downtown. Try running through a busy touristy city and add a big dog to the mix. It proved quite interesting. Today was mostly a work day. I went to City Park to work (which I am quickly loving as a mobile office option) while Sally did her coaching calls. We did some exercise in the park, threw the football around some and got cackled by an asshole walking by. He felt the need to yell out that we throw like girls, yet when Sally told him to come show us then how to throw like a boy (because we are obviously girls that have never learned how to throw a football properly), he just kept walking on by with his son. JERK! Oh well … can’t win them all and not everyone is a saint. We met up with Johnny late afternoon for a dip in the rushing creek. You know the saying “It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt”? Well, someone got hurt and that someone was me. Coach and Johnny’s dog Cyrus were playing, rambunctiously, and when they were running back towards the car they knocked me over from behind and I scratched up my foot. Sally took care of me once we got to Dane’s. She was saying she has a feeling she is going to have boys when she has kids so might as well get used to taking care of scrapes, cuts, etc. Probably started drinking a bit too early to numb the pain. We BBQ’d at Dane’s (Johnny’s friend who he is living with or at least in front of his house in HIS trailer). Then we headed out to Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, which consisted of shots, dancing, finally having a dance partner (Brad from Laramie) and meeting a new friend (Daniel, the guitar player from the band that played at the bar that night). We made a brief stop over at the Virginia, hearing that they had Karaoke, but since I did not have my ID I could not get in to the Virginia, but Daniel was sweet enough to stay with me and we chatted it up until everyone called it a night.
The walkways of downtown Jackson, WY
Sally and I at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, downtown Jackson, WY
Johnny, Sally and I at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, downtown Jackson, WY
Thursday, July 28 – I pretty much worked ALL day and nursed a nasty hang over (SO many shots the night before, what were we THINKING!). Had to even take a nap. We both did actually. I was going to go to a coffee shop a couple of blocks down to plug in the laptop and work, however when I walked by the Bus Shelter we were parked next to I saw they had outlets near the benches outside. Since I would rather be outside any day, I just set up shop right there. Coach and Sally kept me company on and off throughout the day. We had dinner and managed to get a walk in. We took the street near the Bus Shelter straight up to Snow King Mountain and hiked up a bit. As is our luck, we stumbled upon the coolest cemetery ever up in the mountain: totally over-grown and really creative plots of land. Were I planning to get buried when I die, that would be what it would look like. From the cemetery there were great views of Jackson, the Teton Mountains and we could even hear the county fair in the distance.
My new cuddle buddy!
Coach keeping me company at my Bus Shelter office, Jackson, WY
Friday, July 29 – Slept in as we were still trying to catch up on our sleep. Walked around downtown Jackson some more so we could be total tourists and take a picture under the antler arch park entrance. Johnny picked us up and we went for a beautiful 6-mile hike on the Cache Creek Trail in Bridger National Forest. So pretty and we had the rushing creek accompanying us during the entire hike. After our hike, Sally and I laid out on the grass near where we parked and it prompted us to do our exercises. Three sets of push-ups, sit-ups, squats, dips and calf raises. We are back on “Mission Rocking Body” since we want to get back to our Costa Rica physiques. Also funniest shit happened with plugging the RV in to the Bus Shelter. Sally got that idea a couple of days ago, that we should park the RV in front of the bus shelter and literally hook up to the outlet on the oustside of the building, yet we couldn’t work up the nerve to do it. But what with computers needing to be charged up, as well as phones, we chose to be little rebels and pull right up to the Bus Shelter and plug right on in. We duct taped the extension cord down and voila lights (Safety First, which we did get props on when we got BUSTED). Not even 45 minutes later we hear the knock on the window and knew that was the end of our endless electricity! Of course, OUR luck and the small world that it is, the police officer was from Glendora and his sister lives in South Pasadena. Of course we were chatting it up. Too crazy! Turns out in Jackson it is the city law that you cannot sleep in your vehicle. Who knew!? He was kind enough to inform us about that law and point us in the direction of the RV parking lot where we COULD sleep for the night. We had slept in the RV in the streets Tuesday and Thursday nights and had no idea! We proceeded to drive to the RV parking lot and called it a night. We were definitely giggling about that incident for a while.
Such TOURISTS! Antler Arches, downtown Jackson, WY
Cache Creek Trail, Bridger National Forest, Jackson, WY
Downtown Jackson, WY (With Million Dollar Cowboy Bar in the background)
Our stealth electricity "borrow" job!
Saturday, July 30 – Another road trip day. It’s so funny how some places we decide to stay for a day or two, others three or four and honestly there is no rhyme or reason to any of it. Sally and I truly go by how we feel, moment by moment. Today it felt like it was time for us to push off from Jackson and start the slow trek towards Colorado. At first we thought to stop we should stop in Rock Springs, which is about four hours away and felt like a good mid-way point to Laramie. However once we got to Rock Springs and realized how tiny of a town it was, we decided to keep on keepin on and drive all the way to Laramie. 384 miles. Plenty of time and space to process, day-dream, reflect and vision! During the drive, it became clear to us what the purpose of our next endeavor would be. Sally had a hit of inspiration and from there it was like a geyser of ideas erupted. It is so exciting to see how these random events on our trip (even as far back as earlier this year simply talking about our initial road trip) are coming together and forming something amazing. We got to Laramie around 8:30pm or 9:00pm and found a park to stop at for the night. Yet the park was really dark, there were people walking around and it simply did not feel right to either of us. So we decided to listen to our intuition (“It does not feel safe here”) and drive to the Best Western near the freeway exit and park in their parking lot for the evening. We thought: “Who knows? We may even get free Continental Breakfast in the morning.” Ha ha!
Driving along the 191 from Jackson to Rock Springs, WY
Driving along the 80 to Laramie, WY
